Termite Threat Identification

March 13, 2017

Here in Knoxville, termites are a serious problem. When subterranean termites attack a home, they do it silently, feeding on the inside of wood for years, without detection. If you don't already have ongoing termite protection for your Knoxville home, it is vital that you at least familiarize yourself with some of the ways you can identify a termite threat, especially this time of year when swarmers begin to appear.

How To Spot Swarmers

Subterranean termite swarmers are drawn to light. If you see a lot of bugs flying around a street light or exterior light, you may want to take a closer look.

Subterranean termite swarms don't last long. If a swarm does appear on your property, you may miss it. So it is important to recognize shed wings as a sign that a swarm has happened. These wings are translucent to white in color and will usually appear on window sills.

If you catch a swarmer, you can identify these bugs by their black color, prominent white wings, and lack of ant-like waist.

How To Spot Termite Warning Signs

Subterranean termites are a moisture pest. They need moisture to live. For this reason, they build mud tubes from the soil to the wood of your home. These mud tubes can be found on the outside and inside of foundation walls, in crawl spaces, and on interior walls. They are usually in exterior areas that are shaded by bushes or some other sun-blocking object that is near your walls.

If termites have been feeding on your home, you may see some external damage in areas that are near the soil, often moist, or shaded by objects next to your wall.

When you see termite swarmers, or wings left by swarmers, you should be aware that this is a sign of an active infestation, not a pending one. Swarmers don't fly far from their point of origin. If you're seeing swarmers, especially a lot of swarmers, it is likely that you have a mature infestation on your property.

In the middle of March, we expect to start seeing swarmers in our Knoxville service area. You should be looking for them too, if you're not already protected with year-round, always active, termite pest control services. These are not an insect that should ever be shrugged off. They are responsible for billions of dollars in U.S. property damage every year.

If you need help protecting your home or business from termites, Allgood Pest Solutions offers comprehensive solutions to exterminate termites and keep new infestations from occurring. Contact us today for a free inspection, and we'll get your property ready to resist those spring termite swarmers.